Gas turbines are widely used in industrial and commercial operations. For example, industrial gas turbines typically include one or more combustors to generate power or thrust. A typical commercial gas turbine used to generate electrical power includes a compressor at the front, one or more combustors around the middle, and a turbine at the rear. Ambient air enters the compressor as a working fluid, and the compressor progressively imparts kinetic energy to the working fluid to produce a compressed working fluid at a highly energized state. The compressed working fluid exits the compressor and flows to the combustors where it mixes with fuel and ignites to generate combustion gases having a high temperature and pressure. The combustion gases flow to the turbine where they expand to produce work. For example, expansion of the combustion gases in the turbine may rotate a shaft connected to a generator to produce electricity.
The physical characteristics of the ambient air entering the compressor significantly affect the efficiency, power output, and performance of the gas turbine. For example, a 1° F. increase in ambient temperature may produce a corresponding 0.3-0.5% decrease in the power output of the gas turbine. Similarly, a change in the humidity of the ambient air inversely affects the density of the ambient air and thus the power output of the gas turbine. As a result, many gas turbines include a system for conditioning the ambient air entering the gas turbine to enhance the efficiency, power output, and/or performance of the gas turbine.
The system for conditioning ambient air flow to the gas turbine may include, for example, one or more stages of filters, cooling media, and/or moisture separators that adjust the cleanliness, temperature, and/or humidity of the ambient air before it enters the gas turbine. Although effective at adjusting the temperature and/or humidity of the ambient air, the physical limitations of the system may create an uneven temperature profile of the ambient air exiting the system and flowing to the gas turbine. The uneven temperature profile of the ambient air may exceed design limitations of the gas turbine and induce temperature stresses in the compressor bellmouth. As a result, a system and method for conditioning ambient air that produce a desired temperature profile of the air to the gas turbine would be useful.